Adjustable shoulder strap and buckle assembly



June 30, 1953 sc w z 2,643,431

ADJUSTABLE SHOULDER STRAP AND BUCKLE ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 25, 1952 INVENTOR. FRED ScHWARZ Patented June 30, 1953 ADJUSTABLE SHOULDER STRAP AND BUCKLE ASSEMBLY Fred Schwarz, Yonker Metal Products 00.,

Inc.

poration of New York Application anuary 25, 1952, Serial No. 268,168

1 Claim. (Cl. 24-200) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an adjustable shoulder strap assembly for articles of lingerie.

It is commonplace to employ one-piece buckles for adjustably joining the adjacent ends of the shoulder straps of articles of lingerie so that the wearer of the garment can adjust the length of the shoulder straps to properly position the garment on the body. Such buckles usually comprise a series of cross bars extended between spaced vertically extended side arms and a lower arm extended between the side arms below the cross bars. The upper end of the lower strap of the lingerie is looped over the lower arm and the lower end of the upper strap engaged adjustably about the cross bars so that the length of the strap assembly can be adjusted by sliding the upper strap relative to the cross bars of the buckle. Such strap assemblies have been found objectionable primarily due to the fact that with continued use the lower strap works itself to the rigid or the left of the lower arm with the upper strap working itself reversely to the right or the left of the cross bars so that the buckle assumes a diagonal position with relation to the straps. In that position, the straps become bunched in diagonally opposed corners of the buckle making it'difiicult if not entirely impossible to further adjust the position of the upper strap and resulting in undesirable binding and possible weakening of the straps resulting in eventual breaking thereof.

The present invention has as its primary purpose the formation. of a novel shoulder strap assembly having a relationship between the 'bottom arm of the buckle and the'lower strap where by the lower strap is retained from moving to the right Or left side of the bottom arm maintaining the buckle in its upright position in which the upper strap will also maintain a fixed adjusted position relative to the cross bars of the buckle.

Still further, the present invention proposes forming thebuckle to have a downwardly arched bottom arm having upwardly extended projections along its upper edge leaving a recess between the projections and a pair of downwardly and inwardly inclined lower bar portions with the lower strap constructed to be passed over the bottom arm to be retained by the projections and lower bar portions against lateral shifting relative to the bottom arm.

Another object of the present invention proposes forming the lower strap with a central longitudinally extended thickened portion which when the strap is engaged over the bottom arm depends s, N. Y., assignor to Ads Brooklyn, N. Y., a. corinto the recess to retain the strap against lateral movement to either end of the bottom arm.

As a further object, the present invention proposes arranging the lower bar portions so that their bottom ends will bear against the top of the lower strap, where it passes over the bottom arm, on either side of the central thickened portion in a manner to cooperate with the projections in maintaining the thickened portion from moving out of the recess.

It is a further object of the present invention to construct a shoulder strap assembly of the type described which is simple and durable, which is effective for its intended purposes and which can be manufactured and sold, at areasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

On the accompanying drawing forming a material part of the present disclosure:

Fig. l is an elevational view of the strap assembly of the present invention shown with a portion of the upper strap broken away.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 1, but with the front portion of the lower strap broken away.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the buckle per s e,

Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective view of a portion of the lower strap of the present invention.

The strap assembly for lingerie, according to the present invention, includes a one-piece buckle ill for insertion between the upper end of a lower strap I l and the bottom end of an upper strap [2. The straps H and i2 are preferably the end aligned portions of the shoulder strap of an article of lingerie-as a slip, brassiere or the like.

The buckle ID is stamped from a rigid piece of metal or the like and includes a pair of spaced vertically extended side arms M. The bottom ends of the side arms it are joined by a bottom arm l5 which is slightly downwardly arched. An intermediate portion of the lower strap I l is passed over the top edge of the bottom arm I5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and has its free ends secured to the top edge of the article of lingerie, not shown.

The top of the buckle I 0 is substantially closed by a pair of inwardly extended end aligned upper bar portions H5. The upper bar portions 16 are extended inward from the top ends of the side 3 arms I I of the buckle. Vertically spaced transverse bars I1 and I8 are extended between the inner sides of the side arms I4 below the upper bar portions IS.

The upper edge of the bottom arm I5 of the buckle I is formed intermediate of its ends with a pair of spaced upwardly extended convex projections I9.

Between the projections I9, the bottom arm I has a slight recess 20. Below the lowermost cross bar I8, the inner sides of the side arms I4 of the buckle II] are formed with downwardly and inwardly extended lower bar portions 2|. The bottom ends of the lower bar portions 2| are spaced slightly above the outer sides of the projections I9, as best shown in Fig. 3.

The lower strap II is of a particular formation that it is retained by the projections I9 and the lower bar portions 2| against movement toward either end of the bottom arm I5. The specific formation of the lower strap II can be best understood from Fig. 4. Specifically, the lower strap II is formed of an elongated strip of cloth material 22 of a width more than twice but less than three times the final width of the lower strap II. Preferably, the strip of cloth material 22 is of a width approximately two and one-half times the final width of the lower strap II and is a piece of the same material as that used for making the particular piece of lingerie to which the strap assembly is to be secured. Conventional shoulder strap ribbon is notused for making the lower strap II. The length of the strip of cloth material 22 is controlled by the preferences of the manufacturer.

In forming the lower strap II from the strip of cloth material 22, longitudinal side edge portions 22* are folded inward along one side of the strip of cloth material. The longitudinal side edge portions 22 are of a width less than one-half the final width of the lower strap II and preferably of a width about one-fourth the final width of the lower strap II.

Portions 22 of the strip of cloth material 22, inward of the side edge portions 22 are then folded inward with the side edge portions against the said one side of the strip of cloth material so that the side edge portions 22 become sandwiched between the portions 22 and the main length of the strip of cloth material 22. The latter portions 22 are of a width corresponding to one-half the final width of the lower strap II so that the folds between the side edge portions 22 and the portions 22 abut one another along the longitudinal center of the lower strap locating the side edge portions 22 on opposite sides of the longitudinal center.

From a careful consideration of Fig. 4, it will be noted that the lower strap II is of three-ply thickness along its longitudinal center providing the lower strap with a centrally located longitudinally extended'thickened portion. With the side edge portions 22 being of a width about one-fourth the final width of the lower strap I I, it will be appreciated that the thickened portion of the lower strap will be of .a width approximately one-half the width of the lower strap and located centrally of the longitudinal side edges thereof.

The strip of cloth material 22 is maintained in its folded condition by parallel lines of stitches 23 engaged through the three-ply thickness of the strip on opposite sides of the abutting fold lines of the side edge portions 22 and the portions 22*.

As can be determined from Figs. 1 and 2, the effective length of the bottom arm I5 of the one-piece buckle I0 is just slightly less than the width of the lower strap II so that the lower strap passes over that bottom arm with some slight bunching. However, that bunching is taken up by the deformation of the lower strap II by the N-shaped projections I9 so that all of the effective width of the lower strap is in frictional contact with the top edge of the bottom arm I5.

Deformation of the lower strap II by the projections I5 reduces the effective width of the lower strap II, where it passes over the bottom arm, to the length of that bottom arm.

With the lower strap passing over the bottom arm I5 of the buckle In, the central thickened portion of the lower strap formed by the side edge portions 22 depends into the recess 20 between the projections I9, as best shown in Fig. 2, to retain the lower strap against lateral movement on the bottom arm. The lower ends of the lower bar portions 2| are spaced from the outer sides of the projections I9 a distance slightly less than the thickness of the thickened central portion of the lower strap II. Thus, those bottom ends of the lower bar portions 2| bear against the top face of the lower strap I I, where it passes over the bottom arm I5, on opposite sides of the central thickened portion of the strap. It will be appreciated, that the projections I9 and the lower ends of the lower bar portions 2| combine in a novel manner to retain the central thickened portion of the lower strap II from moving in either direction out of the recess 20. With the thickened portion of the lower strap II retained against movement out of the recess 20 it is impossible for the lower strap to assume a bunched position at either end of the bottom arm I5 and so the buckle III is maintained in the end aligned vertically extended position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

As shown especially in Fig. 1, the lower end of the upper strap I2 is first passed behind the upper bar portions I6 then beneath the bottom edge of the lower cross bar I8, then upward between the adjacent edges of the cross bars I! and I8. The free end of the upper strap I2 is then passed upward in front of the cross bar I? and out behind the rear face of the portion of the upper strap which passes behind the upper bar portions I6.

With that arrangement, the effective length of the upper strap I2 can be adjusted to adjust the total length of the shoulder strap assembly to support the article of lingerie at the desired position on the body. The upper strap I2 is formed of a single ply of the usual shoulder strap ribbon or can be made of a single ply of the material used for forming the article of lingerie, if desired.

With the buckle I0 retained in its vertical position by the bottom strap I I, as described supra, it will be appreciated that the upper strap I2 will be retained against lateral shifting relative to the cross bars I! and I8 assuming a bunched position at one side or the other of the buckle.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the present invention proposes the construction of an improved shoulder strap assembly in which engagement of the specially constructed lower strap II with the bottom arm I5 of the buckle I0 functions to maintain the buckle in the proper upright position in which lateral shifting of the upper strap I2 will be precluded. Therefore, all binding of the straps II and I2 with the buckle is eliminated so that the upper strap I2 is free for linear adjustment relative to the buckle ID to vary the operative length of the shoulder strap assembly.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

In combination with a one-piece buckle having side arms and a connecting bottom arm, a pair of lower bar portions spaced above the said bottom arm, each of said portions extending inwardly from one of the said side arms toward the other lower bar portion, a pair of projections 20 interconnected by a recess to form an N-shaped projection extending upwardly from said connecting bottom arm spaced from the lower bar portion, the adjacent, free ends of said lower bar portions overlying said projections, and a strap of a single piece of material; said strap consisting of a main lower length, an upper length folded FRED SCHWARZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,140,164 MolTatt Dec. 13, 1938 2,303,004 Stein Nov. 24, 1942 2,473,209 Lombardi June 14, 1949 

